The Sprout
Floods from North Hinksey Lane
The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 145 March 2020
1
The Sprout
Issue 145, March 2020
Contents
3 Seacourt Hall Gala Opening
7 What’s the link… ?
9 Dean Court Coder Dojo
11 Flood scheme delayed
13 Community fridges take off
17 Botley Medical Centre
21 CA needs you
23 Sally goes solar
25 Pimp your patch
29 Women’s cycling club
31 Calling new Brownies
33 Bemused by the bin?
35 M Harris meets T Mallett
37 Planning Apps
39 Randoms
43 Local organizations
From the Editor
March is here, and with it the floods. Our cover shows James Mayo’s
photo of the inland sea visible from North Hinksey Lane (likely to defer
the Big Clean Up of the Seacourt Nature Reserve). The Gala Opening of
the new Seacourt Hall was a great success (p3), now all they need is a
new manager and new treasurer. Could it be you? Moving quickly on we
have the rise and rise of the Community Fridge (p13), the much enjoyed
Isis cycling club (p29), and an account of her new battery-reinforced array
from a satisfied solar panel owner (p23), while the kids’ computer coding
club at Dean Court is proving popular (p9). The campaign to rein in the
Flood Scheme is using the delay caused by the need to repair the railway
bridge to press for a rethink (p11), and on page 25, Linda Losito calls on
those of us who park in our front gardens to redesign them for wildlife,
and Martin Harris welcomes the chance to meet a famous figure from his
youth (p35). Lots going on in Botley, as per usual then. Happy reading!
Ag MacKeith
2
Gala Opening for new Seacourt Hall
Were you among the
hundreds of people
who came along to
see what Mace had
come up with in our
new Community
Hub? Did you, like
me, go up the stairs
to the new library,
light, spacious and
inviting, but
disconcertingly
devoid of books!
(Back on the shelves
now, though!) Did you go on up to the roof and step out to see if you
could see your house?
And, coming back down, did you plunge into the buzzing scene in the
new Seacourt Hall, to find performances by the Betty Bloom dancers,
from our local Morris Cry Havoc, and modern jive and Zumba displays?
Not to mention the beautiful singing of Oxford Harmony and the Baby
Sensory demo. Just as well the Lunch Club were on hand to refresh us
with quantities of teas and coffees, and Botley W.I., with their delicious
cakes. Branches cafe were there, too, dispensing Nachos at lunch time.
There seemed to be dozens of stalls. The ones I visited were Friends of
Raleigh Park, who have made a huge difference to our valley nature
reserve, with guided walks, adventure days, family fun and energetic
work parties, as detailed in last November’s Sprout. Then I had a long
discussion with PCSO Rich Osborn on the local police stall. Botley
seemed in danger of losing its status as a Low Crime Area, I said. Did
he really think as hinted in a local chat room that there was a
connection between the travellers’ descent on Cumnor Parish and the
sudden spate of burglaries round here. Absolutely not, he replied. The
burglaries were part of a wider pattern, which stretched along the A34
and part of the M40. A criminal gang, efficient and competent, was
carrying out the raids, looking for valuable jewellery, which could be
slipped into a pocket, unlike a TV or laptop. This might also explain why
Asian households were often the target, as they favour gold jewellery.
3
Botley Bridges had a stall, but I missed the chance to find out if it was
true that they were being turfed out of their home at Botley School for
reasons of space. This does seem to be the case, and is a crying
shame. Those of us who had children at Elms Road Nursery know the
space they inhabit was designed for nursery-aged children, and was
directly modelled on that very popular nursery when it was closed and
the land sold off to build Nursery Close. If you want to know what it
looked like, there’s a children’s picture book by Sarah Garland called
‘Going to Playschool’ which uses the nursery as its setting. We will be
following up the plans for our precious Under-fives centre in a future
Sprout.
Seacourt Hall Management Committee were on hand to answer
questions and invite us to choose the best logo to flag up their publicity.
More new activities and classes are planned. You can see what's on
and book your own event at the Seacourt Hall website:
www.seacourthall.org.uk/ All in all, it was a very lively and successful
occasion. Congratulations to al those involved in organizing it. The
photo shows their smiling faces, flanking our MP Layla Moran and some
of our local councillors. The next big event there is ‘Leap into Action,
Botley’s Big Green Day on 29th Feb.
It has come to our notice that Eric Batts, hall manager for many years,
has resigned and a new one is sought. Could this be you? Advert below.
Ag MacKeith
Seacourt Hall needs a Hall Keeper
15 Hours a week. £7963.80 (£10.21 per hour)
4 weeks annual holiday & workplace pension contribu$on.
Located in Botley’s West Way centre, the hall keeper is responsible for
the day-to-day running and maintenance of Seacourt Hall, for assisting
users, for Health and Safety, Fire and equipment testing, and managing
hall bookings via an online booking system, email and telephone. The
role will suit an active individual with experience of dealing with the
public and administrative tasks, including reports for the Committee.
There will be some evening work and weekends as necessary. A laptop
and mobile phone will be supplied.
Closing Date: 6th March Apply by email: seacourt.hall@gmail.com
Full job descrip$on online: www.seacourthall.org.uk/
4
What’s the link between organ donation, film-making
and Hadrian’s Wall?
Can’t guess? All three are the subject of dozens of free online short
courses run by FutureLearn (www.futurelearn.com). Courses last
between two and eight weeks, and involve between two and five hours
of study per week.
The courses are a combination of reading, videos, exercises and
discussion with other learners. They can be accessed at any time, as
there are no formal ‘classes’. I find the discussions the most interesting,
as people from around the world often have unexpected insights and
opinions. I’m currently taking a management course, and finding out
what works in different countries is a real eye-opener.
Other courses that I’ve done: how to write a poem, how to create great
online content, a history of royal food, modern building design, and the
science of nutrition. It’s possible to pay to get a certificate for ‘attending
the course, and some courses build on each other so that they start
forming the equivalent of a proper university course. But I just use the
free version to gain new insights. I can really recommend them… and
I’m not even employed by FutureLearn. Riki Therivel
5
Dean Court Coder Dojo
A few months ago we appealed for volunteers
to help set up and run a Coder Dojo (coding
club) for girls and boys aged 7 to 17 at Dean
Court Community Centre. Well, we were lucky
enough to assemble a crack team of technical
bods and our first session took place in
January. Ten budding coders (some of them
already pretty fully-fledged!) joined James,
Peter, Nathan and Kim for 90 minutes of
computing fun.
James writes:
“The coders explored the Scratch programming environment, which has
been designed as a first stage for children learning programming.
Blocks are moved on screen from a library to create a visual code,
which then runs on a stage on the same screen. Several of the coders
programmed a band which moved around on screen and played music.
Singing unicorns also made an appearance (obviously), and ghosts. As
the code is created, the changes can be seen and heard, until the
project is finished. The sounds can
be changed, as can the images
used on stage, and all made to
work as desired by the program.
The coders quickly understood
what it was all about! Other coders
uses a text-based programming
language called Python.”
The Dojo is at present fully
subsidised by DCCA and we’re
always keen to welcome more
volunteers on board, no need to
commit to every session. We’re
aiming to meet once a month for 90
minutes, so if you think you could
bring something to the techie table,
get in touch with me on
rachael.deancourtcc@gmail.com
Rachael Monks, Centre Manager
6
Flood Scheme – a chance to rethink?
HOEG (Hinksey and Osney Environment Group) met on 6th February
2020 to consider progress on the Flood Alleviation Scheme.
In early January 2020 the Environment Agency (EA) notified landowners
and tenants previously served with OFAS Compulsory Purchase Orders
that the Scheme is currently being delayed. This is because there needs
to be a new bridge on the bypass at the end of the Abingdon Road. This
will affect the new flood alleviation plan because the new bridge will
improve water flows. The lead time is likely to be more than two years.
HOEG strongly supports the need to address West and South Oxford
flooding concerns. Members think that this planning delay creates an
excellent opportunity to improve OFAS further, especially to understand
better its immediate and mid-term climate impact both in terms of
carbon capture and local air pollution, the economic challenges to the
Botley Road during construction, and new opportunities to reduce
substantially OFAS’ original £150million-plus budget. Members of
HOEG will be forwarding fully worked and costed alternative solutions to
the appropriate authorities.
Though the effects of even-slightly-above-average rainfall bursts are
increasing annually because waterways are silting up and routine
maintenance has ended, new technology operating sluice gates above
Oxford appears to work well and to limit flooding. At the request of
HOEG, the EA is enhancing the hydrological assumptions used in
modelling the proposed flood channel. Upgrading the quality of data for
this flood modelling for such a major investment benefits all
stakeholders.
The current OFAS plan requires excavation of historic meadows west of
Oxford, removing the substantial carbon capture provided by existing
1,000 year old grassland and established trees. The planned wide
channel will make relatively little difference to the 1300 (not 4500)
properties at risk of flooding but will add major air pollution impact due
to construction activities and diesel lorry movement of local gravel from
the meadows to off-site locations. The carbon, nitrogen and particulate
air pollution impacts of the Scheme’s first 5–20 years were not fully
evaluated in OFAS’ initial proposal documents. For more visit:
https://hinkseyandosney.org/
Chris Sugden (Convenor) with others for HOEG
7
Community fridges take off!
The Botley community fridge (St. P&P
Church, 81 West Way OX2 9JY) will
be three years old in mid March, and
what an influence it has had!
In just the last year, the fridge has
stopped at least 7 tonnes of perfectly
good food from being wasted,
providing the equivalent of more than
16,000 meals. A team of brilliant
volunteers picks up the food from four
supermarkets five days per week, and
comes in every day to make sure that
the fridge is clean. Several food
banks donate non-perishables (pasta,
tins etc.) which go on shelving next to
the fridge, and which are particularly
for people in need. Anyone can use
the fridge, so do please visit it, put in your surplus food and take food
from it.
But the fridge’s influence goes beyond Botley. Inspired by our fridge,
the Leys community fridge opened at the Blackbird Leys community
centre 15 months ago. It also has a team of volunteers who pick up and
deliver food, coordinated by Lucy Kozumplikova who lives in Botley.
Because the Leys fridge wasn’t
getting enough food for the
demand, we contacted FareShare,
who pick up surplus food from
wholesalers around the country,
bring it back to regional depots
(ours is in Didcot), and then
redistribute it. Unlike the Oxford
Food Bank who do this for free but
who won’t deliver to ‘open access’
charities (where the food might go
to people who are not ‘in need’),
FareShare charges for the
transport, processing and warehousing of the food. The Didcot depot is
8
run by a fantastic organisation called Sofea, which takes young people
who struggle in school, gives them literacy/numeracy classes in the
morning, and teaches them warehouse skills in the afternoon.
FareShare/Sofea suggested that, rather than buying food from them, we
should set up a Leys community larder, and that is what we have done.
The larder is a food club. People become members for £2 a week direct
debit, and for that they receive access to a café, a children’s play area,
several events per year (we had a big Christmas party and are planning
a summer barbecue), plus ten items of non-perishable food per week,
plus free fruit and vegetables. FareShare isn’t allowed to sell the food
because it is classed as ‘waste’, but having a club which happens to
provide lots of free food gets around this. For their £2 per week,
members leave with a HUGE bag of food.
Some of the food is weird and wonderful: cactus water, seaweed crisps,
cheese-flavoured
popcorn. But every
week there is also
bread, pasta, cereal,
tins of beans and other
basics that will get
people through the
week. The larder
opened in early October
2019 and already has
more than 90 members.
Anyone within a 15-
minute travel time can
join, and if there’s not much traffic on the ring road, the fridge is just
about accessible in that time to someone who lives in Botley. Do go if
you’re interested. Anyone can join you don’t need to be on benefits.
It’s at the Blackbird Leys community centre every Wednesday, 3 to 5pm.
Coming back to community fridges, two years ago the Botley fridge
hosted a national meeting of community fridge co-ordinators. By now,
so many community fridges have been set up around the country that
we will soon be hosting a meeting of just the Oxfordshire community
fridges. These are located in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Botley,
Jericho, Leys, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney.
Riki Therivel
9
Report on Botley Medical Centre
Patients of the Botley Medical Centre were concerned to read the
Oxford Mail report of 16th January which carried the headline “GP
Practice has improved but work needed, says Watchdog”.
The Patients Participation Group at its meeting on January 29th
discussed this report of the Care Quality Commission’s findings with the
Manager of the Practice, Caroline Jones.
The finding in question centred around one issue: the lack of high-risk
medicine audits. Because these span both Safe and Well-led headings
within the CQC reporting structure, the impression given of the report is
worse than it actually was. In all other aspects the Centre achieved a
‘good’ rating. This one area of difficulty fell into two headings and so
resulted in the final verdict.
In actual fact the inspectors had used a temporary search which had
been set up for other reasons, and was not the search the Practice uses
to identify high risk drug users. Unfortunately, both managers in the
practice happened to be on leave immediately after the inspection, so it
was not possible to get the correct search results to the inspectors
within their time frame. When the correct search criteria were used, they
showed that all monthly audits had been carried out. The procedure for
accessing the correct search criteria has since been amended to make
it less likely for anyone to use the wrong ones in the future.
Shared Care
The issue with the high-risk drugs was that some patients who attended
hospital appointments believed that they did not need to go to the health
centre for their blood tests, thinking that all would be dealt with in the
hospital. Such patients seemed to be unaware of ‘shared care’. Under
this protocol, the administration of drugs/medicines started at hospital
was then devolved to the surgery. If a patient missed a blood test at the
surgery, the doctor had to do a risk assessment to decide if it was safer
to give the medication without the blood test being done or not.
The shared care agreement with the hospital has now been amended
so that if patients did not come for the required blood test at the surgery,
they would be asked to return to the hospital for their tests and
treatment. The PPG was assured that an action plan has been created
to respond to the issue raised by the CQC and Oxford Mail.
Chris Sugden
10
And here are some tips from the PPG on
How to get the most out of your GP appointment
As the doctor’s time is precious here are a few tips that may help you
get the most from the time you have with them. Some may seem
obvious but together they’ll help get the best from your visit.
Be on time We are all aware that often the doctor runs late through no
fault of their own BUT if they are running on time, don’t waste yours.
Once in the room Don’t get too comfy and then waste valuable time
taking off layers that are not necessary.
If at all possible, leave your children at home (unless it is they who
are unwell). Easier said than done but…. Often children distract you
and the doctor from asking the relevant questions.
Don’t bring a list! It is unrealistic to expect a doctor to deal with more
than one problem. The average appointment is only 10 minutes and it’s
better to deal with one problem in depth than several superficially.
Tell your story chronologically Try and remember when symptoms
started and how they developed. Give as much detail as you can.
Be as accurate as possible. Give accurate timings: the dates or the
month or week symptoms started, not ‘a while ago’, Or ‘not very long’.
Try not to be embarrassed The doctor has probably heard it before, or
something very like it.
Understand how the consultation works
* Tell your story
* The doctor will ask you questions about what you have told them
* The doctor may examine you if they feel it necessary
* Your doctor will tell you what they think may be going on and suggest
treatment or plan options
* You ask questions about the plan
Get the important issue out first. Often people will talk about smaller
concerns rather than the important one such as ‘I think I have a lump’.
The internet is useful but… doctors have a wealth of knowledge, so
trust their skills.
Finally be kind. Doctors are trying their best to help you that’s
the reason they came into the profession!
11
Citizens Advice in South and Vale needs help with:
* Reception duties in Abingdon, Henley and Thame
* Advisers in Abingdon and Didcot
* Head office administration in Abingdon
* IT support in Didcot and Thame
* Fundraising, communications and website designers (any location)
We are a local charity providing free, confidential advice. Last year, our
150 skilled advisers helped over 11,000 local people from advice
centres in Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon, Henley, Thame and Wallingford.
Many people who come to us face difficult and sometimes frightening
problems that threaten to overwhelm them. In 2019 we were able to
help three quarters of all the people who contacted us. For volunteers,
we offer a welcoming office environment and an opportunity to gain new
skills, meet new people and make a real and valued contribution to your
local community. You choose when you volunteer. We normally ask for
two half days a week but can be flexible. If you are interested, please go
to: www. citizensadvice.org.uk/local/oxfordshire-south-vale/volunteer
Or, if you would like to discuss these volunteering roles, please email
Jon Bright, Director at jon.bright@osavcab.org.uk
12
How Solar Panels are Working for Me
Are you thinking of installing solar panels? Well make sure you add in a
battery! Which? has lots of good advice, and was a good place to start.
The first company I called gave me the sales talk, and then pressured me
to sign a contract before they would send out a surveyor. They also applied
financial inducements to make me choose them. Luckily I was able to back
out in time. Meanwhile I had contacted another company (Project Solar)
that I eventually went ahead with. The experience here was very different:
there was no pressure and the emphasis was on giving me all the technical
data I needed.
I’ve gone on about this at some length because it illustrates how vitally
important it is to get more than one quote, and to resist heavy sales
pressure. Be clear about what you want, and then make sure that any
proposal offered to you can deliver it.
The thing I really liked about Project Solar was their partnership with Social
Energy, which is an unusual kind of energy supplier. The power generated
by solar can peak when you least need it, but you can sell this back to the
grid. The energy companies don’t pay much for it, though at most one
third of what you pay for energy from them, and often much less. If you
have a battery you can store energy there, for use later. This can save you
a lot, but it is limited by the capacity of your battery. Social Energy go a step
further: via a hub they install in your house, they trade the energy in your
battery with the grid (in both directions), buying it cheaply on your behalf,
and selling it back when the price is higher. You need do nothing, the
software takes care of it all. This (they claim) can give you a big pay-back,
allowing you to cover the additional cost of the battery in a shorter time.
I cannot verify this myself yet. We’ve only had our panels for a month so
far, and it takes three months to get onto the system. However, the benefits
of the battery are already very evident. We have already halved our grid
consumption (and hence our bill), and it’s only February! To be fair, a lot of
this saving is down to our increased awareness of how we were wasting
energy in a big way, but that’s another story.
Our 18-panel installation plus battery, inclusive of taxes, installation and
warranty, cost £15,300 and took less than two days. To put this into
perspective, it is about the cost of a kitchen makeover. Our roof faces east
and west, so we have panels on both sides. This is not ideal a south
facing roof works best. Even so, our panels really do perform even on
cloudy days, as we can attest from our monitoring during February.
Sally Prime
13
Pimp your Patch
Oxfordshire is a crowded space, and likely to get a lot more crowded in
the near future if the projected million houses along the Expressway are
built. More houses will mean even less space for wildlife to occupy. So
the numbers of birds, mammals and insects will continue to plummet
across the region. Is there anything we can do to help them?
The numbers of cars are increasing but the street space to park them is
diminishing. Young adults are staying at home with their parents for
longer because mortgages are out of their reach. Many have cars, so
the available space shrinks even further. Householders, increasingly
desperate to secure a parking place, are paving over their front
gardens. This is perfectly understandable, but creates a number of
problems, some of which are soluble.
One problem is porosity. Any new surface laid should allow water to
drain through it, but many do not. The soil under the surface can dry
out causing clay to shrink, with consequent damage to the house
foundations. A layer of shingle will give the best permeability and is
likely to be the cheapest to install. Tarmac and concrete are probably
the least permeable surfaces but can have holes for drainage put in. If
water stays on the surface, it may run off onto the pavement making
problems for pedestrians, especially in icy weather, and pushing more
water into the overloaded street drains.
Another is the loss of green space. Each front garden may be small,
but the cumulative loss to the local area is huge. There are many faces
to this loss. People used to be proud of their front gardens and
competed in an annual competition run by the Parish Council. They
would spend a lot of time creating colourful displays and weeding: time
spent chatting to passing neighbours. ‘Socialising-through-gardening’ is
extremely important for keeping less mobile elderly people in the social
loop, making them less likely to become isolated and depressed. And,
as any estate agent will tell you, it is easier to sell a house with a pretty
flower-filled garden next door than one which is filled with rusting old
jalopies. It seems to appeal to that very British desire to live in a
thatched cottage with roses growing around the door. It’s just nice.So
how can we reconcile this need for parking spaces with our love of
gardens? Have both of course! Pimp your patch. If you are making a
new space, with just a little planning you should be able to create a
porous surface surrounded by flowers. Or if you have an existing hard
14
surface, jazz it up
around the edges.
Surround it with flower-
filled pots or planters to
give it that extra buzz.
The bees will love it if
you use open, pollen-
bearing flowers.
Alternatively, dig it up
around the edges and
put in some colourful
shrubs. This is what
one of my neighbours
has done, and it is a
pleasure to look at
throughout the year. When she moved in, there was just plain gravel.
Useful but boring. She yearned for something that was easier on the eye,
and slowly re-shaped it to her needs. Now, around the functional parking
space is a thing of beauty. Under the front window is a cotoneaster heaving
with bees in the spring and bright with red berries in the winter. A clematis
with large blue flowers scrambles across it in the summer. Green and gold
ivy covers the brick walls, with a golden shrub, Lonicera nitida adding extra
colour. Around the edges, scented lavender bushes and the violet-blue
flowered Symphyandra (bellflowers) are very happy in this dry, almost
Mediterranean, sunny spot. All of them are hardy and low maintenance.
Around the corner, other neighbours have created a tiny green oasis
alongside the parking spot. The eye-catching front wall is covered with a
mosaic of pretty blue tiles. Just behind it is a pond and a spread of lovely
seasonal flowers, and a bird feeder which brings in the more attractive birds
like gold finches. In a garden further along, a row of hollyhocks creates a
wall of colour around the car. Pretty plant pots filled with flowers add to the
cottage garden effect.
Everyone does it differently, but the combined effect is lovely. Good for
birds, good for insects (and, consequently, hedgehogs) and good for us.
How much better than blank, sterile sheets of tarmac, brick or concrete. So
why not go out this weekend, dig up a corner of your front garden and fill it
with colour. Your neighbours will love you for it.
(And we will come by, clip boards in hand, looking for the prettiest, most
wildlife friendly, parking spot in the local area. There may even be prizes!
Details to be announced later.) Linda Losito
15
Women’s cycling group in Oxford
One of the best things I did when we moved to Oxford many years ago
was to turn up in Radcliffe
Square for an Isis
Cyclist’s ride. I was
hooked from the start
through it I have
discovered wonderful new
routes, made friends,
appreciated the many
hidden gems that Oxford
and its environs have to
offer, kept fit(ish) and
enjoyed many cups of
coffee and, frequently,
cake!
Isis cyclists was primarily started to help women get fit through cycling.
It has since developed into an organisation that offers short (6–10
miles), medium (10–20 miles), and long (20–30 miles) rides each month
at the weekends; and when the weather gets warmer and the days
longer we include evening pub rides, midweek Stop and Stare rides,
extra long rides (50 miles), extra pop-up rides and a weekend away. Our
evening pub rides and Sunday social rides are open to male partners
and friends. The rides usually start at 10.00 am, take all morning and we
arrive back in time for lunch after a refreshment stop during the ride.
Each ride has a leader who will have planned the route and coffee stop,
and someone who brings up the rear. The short rides tend to be set at a
slower pace than the long rides, but we are always aware of how people
are doing, and will adjust our pace to accommodate everyone.
Cycling is a brilliant way of getting about, particularly in Oxford. We
choose our routes carefully, avoiding fast busy roads and making use of
the many cycle paths and country lanes. Cycling is sociable, healthy
and free! It keeps you in touch with your surroundings. If you’d like to
join us, take a look at our website isiscyclists.org.uk where you will find
details of upcoming rides. You don’t need to join, or pay, or book in
just turn up at the starting point of your chosen ride with a roadworthy
bike and you will be warmly welcomed in.
Karen Wolff
16
Calling new Brownies
We at 2nd Botley have a full and constant complement of lovely go-
ahead Leaders and a Brownie Holiday licence (which we’re not afraid to
use!) but we could accommodate more girls (aged 7 to 10 years) right
now. If you know of any, please do get in touch at 2ndbotleybrownies@
outlook.com. Indeed, continuing to look to the future of the Unit and
Girlguiding as a whole we are very pleased to report that “Fox” (a
student by the name of Amber) has just completed her Young Leader
Qualification, which she has been diligently working towards over the
past two years. All our Leaders basically started in the same way...
We enjoyed being Brownies, we then moved on to Guides and, if lucky
enough in the area we were in, then on to Rangers. We started out by
helping at a local Unit, be it Rainbows, Brownies or Guides. Over time
we were encouraged to take our Leadership Qualification to allow us to
be in charge of young girls. We attended formal First Aid trainings and
Girlguiding trainings where we learnt about child welfare and safe-from-
harm procedures as well as lots of fun activities and camp fires. We
learnt to plan our time (which is freely given), organise events, handle a
budget, etc. As Young Leaders or
young Adult Leaders we all learnt
from and by watching 2nd Botley’s
Leaders a little older than us with a
few years of experience. Girlguiding
UK is over 110 years old and this is
how we continue to grow and to
evolve into the worldwide
movement we are today. “Today’s
Leaders were yesterday’s Brownies
& Guides, ergo today’s Brownies &
Guides will be tomorrow’s Leaders!”
All Girlguiding Leaders, regardless
of their age, are just ordinary
people voluntarily “doing their best”
(Baden Powell would approve) to
give a little bit back to the
community in which they live.
By the Owls at 2nd Botley
Brownies
17
Bemused by the bin? Help is at hand.
Thanks to us residents, Oxfordshire is the top performing county in the
country, recycling 58% of household waste. Now the county council
have come up with a new wheeze to help us do even better.
The Waste Wizard is the county council’s response to the evil spell that
no-longer-needed items sometimes cast over residents when it’s time to
recycle or reuse them. The online tool allows anyone bewitched by the
bin to type in the name of any item at oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard
along with their postcode to find out whether it can be repaired, reused,
donated, recycled, if it needs to go into a specific bin or if it can be
disposed of at a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
There’s lots of different ways to get rid of waste but you only need one
Waste Wizard to help make sure you do the right thing.
Boost the number of items that get repaired locally
Increase the number of items reused or donated
Cut the amount of contamination in kerbside collection bins
Ensure anything that can’t be reused, repaired or donated is
properly recycled or disposed of
18
Jingle All The Westminster Way
It’s not Christmas yet! In
October this year, our
local radio station BBC
Radio Oxford will be
celebrating its 50th
birthday. Gordon Kitchen,
from Stanley Close, was
there from the first day,
reading the news. Back in
the early 1980s you might
have once or twice seen
an old black taxi cab
driving around Botley to
visit me. The driver was
Timmy Mallett, who
before he become
nationally and internationally famous on television and with his No.1 hit
record, presented an utterly brilliant” radio show for Oxfordshire that
was especially loved by the
younger generation. My sister
Diane and I, as young teenagers,
would sometimes be at Radio
Oxford’s studios, then at 242–254
Banbury Road, recording jingles
for the show. It was fun, and great
for my confidence, to re-write
words to pop songs. Timmy
Mallett, being at the controls,
would press the ‘record’ button, we
would sing away and then later it
would be played on his show
called Timmy on the Tranny or
TOTT for short. On his final show
we sang our version of the Can
Can live with help from Greg
Hainge who then lived on Harcourt
Hill. The most famous (if you can
call it that) jingle that Diane and I
19
recorded (later also played on Radio Luxembourg, Piccadilly Radio and
even on a freeview TV channel!) was a ditty written by Timmy to Tony
Basil’s 1982 hit Mickey re-worked as Oh Timmy You’re So Fine. At one
time the show had a parody competition, judged by Duke D’Mond from
the comedic pop group The Barron Knights. Diane and I came 2nd with
Abba’s The Winner Takes It All re-worked as The Taxman Takes It All.
Joyce East, a wonderful lady and a great Barry Manilow fan who lived In
Westminster Way, performed a hilarious version of Sheena Easton’s 9
to 5 with her great gravelly voice. One evening Dad took us down to a
recording studio in someone’s back garden in Yate, South
Gloucestershire, and we recorded a song with Timmy called I’m Timmy
the Prince. The record wasn’t released, but almost 10 years later in
1990, Timmy had a No.1 hit with Andrew Lloyd Webber with their
version of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.
Just a few weeks ago, Mum and I met Timmy again at a book signing
(shown in the photo). It is a well written, intelligent, uplifting and inspiring
book about his cycling pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain,
following the recent death of his brother Martin who had Down’s
syndrome and dementia. Timmy Mallett is still “utterly brilliant”.
Martin Harris
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P20/V0317/FUL
Re application
P16/V1976/FUL
12 Cumnor Hill. Variation of
Conditions 2 (Approved Plans), 8
(Boundary Treatments), 14 (Parking
Provision), 15 (Refuse and
Recycling).
3 February
Target
Decision
Date: 4 May
P20/V0301/FUL
5 Toynbee Close. Build 2 two-
bedroom flats to rear with parking,
bin & bike stores. Replace carport
and outbuilding with parking, bin &
bike stores for existing house as
per P16/V3039/FUL.
5 February
TDD: 1 April
P20/V0359/LDP 15 Cumnor Hill. Certificate of
Lawfulness for extension of hard
standing area at front to provide a
parking and turning area.
6 February
TDD: 2 April
P20/V0372/HH 30A Hutchcomb Rd. Demolish
existing garage and build single
storey rear extension.
10 February
TDD: 6 April
20
Randoms
Annual Parish Meeting – 19th March
The Parish Council’s Annual Parish Meeting will be held at the new
Seacourt Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday 19th March (tea and coffee from
7pm). Come along to hear the latest news on the Botley Centre
redevelopment, the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, and other local
issues. If there is anything you would like to raise for discussion, please
send your questions in writing to Colin Ryde, the Parish Clerk
(clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk) by Monday 16th March. Further details
can be found on the Parish Council website at www.northhinksey-
pc.gov.uk and in the NHPC Annual Newsletter.
Redbridge closed
Redbridge recycling centre will be closed for a deep clean on Tuesday
10th & Wednesday 11th March.
West Way Square Community Update Exhibition: 5 March
Is there any truth in the rumour that the developers are seeking to add
another storey to the building on the site of Grant Thornton? Come to
the public exhibition to update residents of ongoing progress and next
steps of development at West Way Square on 5th March from 4pm to
7.30 in the Seacourt Hall and find out. This will be a small interactive
exhibition, with members of the project team on hand to answer
questions, and feedback forms available for comments. If you have any
questions you can contact Hugh Currie of SP Broadway at
hugh@spbroadway.com, or visit www.westwayconsultation.co.uk for
further details
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
(formerly Botley & North Hinksey
over 60s Lunch Club)
We’re still the same Lunch Club, but
with a new name as very few of us
now retire at 60. We’re enjoying the
spacious and airy new Seacourt Hall
with its modern kitchen and meet, as
before, on alternate Thursdays (see
back cover for dates).
21
Run entirely by volunteers, Lunch Club serves a two-course meal at
12.30 prompt, and diners can arrive from about noon onwards to meet
and chat with friends. Our ingredients are bought locally with our meat
from Hedges on Elms Parade. We charge £5 per head and any profit
goes towards meals to celebrate special occasions such as Christmas.
There is no need to book. If you would like to join our cheery team of
volunteers we would love to hear from you. Either pop in to the
Seacourt Hall around 10.30 am on the days we do lunch, contact me on
smithsat23@tiscali.co.uk (01865 241539), or phone Jackie Warner
(01865 721386).
Viv Smith
The Vale tackles Climate Change
On the advice of their Climate Emergency Advisory Committee, the Vale
of White Horse District Council have set targets to reduce their own
carbon emissions by 75% by 2025, and those in the district by 75% by
2030. There’s more information on the advisory committee and the work
being done to achieve these targets on www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk.
Good to see that South Oxford DC have put sustainability at the heart of
the design for the new headquarters at Crowmarsh Gifford that they will
share with the Vale. Let us hope our own parish council will take note
and apply the same principles to the new pavilion at the top of the hill.
Keep Safe! Avoiding Conmen and Other Risks
Scams, identity theft, conmen on the doorstep and the telephone and
the web all feature in this U3A talk by Shelley Edwards on 23rd March
(details on back cover). The list of risks that modern technologies
expose us to can seem to be ever-expanding. But there are many ways
that we can protect ourselves, often simply through greater awareness
and taking straightforward precautions. Shelley Edwards, Community
Liaison Officer with Oxfordshire County Council, will help us understand
the kinds of risks we may be open to, and advise us how to keep both
ourselves and our neighbours safe.
And another thing…
Another opportunity to get involved in your local community: Seacourt
Hall is looking for a new Treasurer. If you are interested please email
seacourt.hall@gmail.com.
22
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Fiona Wheeler,
firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk
Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, cubs 6.30-8, scouts 8-9.30, Botley Baptist Hall.
Amy Cusden 07887 654386 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark
0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8
weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan
Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865
241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-
Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Community Fridge
Mon–Sat 9–5, Sun 11–5. Riki Therivel 07759 135811
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795
054142 or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788
www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District Historical
Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.
01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352
or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call
863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, details Emily 07969 522368
or email emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
North Hinksey Preschool and
Childcare Clubs
Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
23
N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends. Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121
voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council Colin Ryde, tel 861992, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Wednesdays at Arnold's Way pavilion, call Daz on 07791
212866 or see Facebook
Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxfd Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259
Oxford Harmony Men's
Acappella singing group
Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact
pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice
monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Family club: Melanie Riste 848658
melanie_riste@hotmail.com
Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Saturdads at
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall management
committee
Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.45 Botley Library.
Alan 07941 610913
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso
tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865
570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or l iz.manson@virginmedia.com
Yoga (gentle) at WOCC
Fri 10.15 - 11.30 (more energetic on Mon 6.30 7.45)
yogawithjacqueline@hotmail.com
24